x
Breaking News
More () »

Man Charged with Death of Infant in Susquehanna County

NEW MILFORD — Three years after an infant died, a man is now accused of causing the boy’s death. When that baby died in 2013 in Susquehanna County, ...
andrew lesser

NEW MILFORD -- Three years after an infant died, a man is now accused of causing the boy's death.

When that baby died in 2013 in Susquehanna County, authorities left the investigation open. On Tuesday, the mother's former boyfriend was charged with homicide.

Andrew Lesser, 32, of Montrose is locked up without bail after being charged with criminal homicide in the death of Mavrick Starke three years ago.

Troopers used recorded phone conversations from Lesser while he was locked up on an unrelated theft case to eventually uncover the truth.

Man Charged with Death of Infant in Susquehanna County

Lesser was led into district court near New Milford Tuesday and charged with criminal homicide in the death of 7-month-old Mavrick Starke.

The baby's mother and grandmother were visibly upset seeing Lesser face charges for the boy's death in 2013.

"Three years and it's been torture, torture," said the victim's grandmother Debra Hack.

Lesser used to live with the baby's mother in Lanesboro. Court papers say the couple tried to get Mavrick Starke to stop crying in May of 2013. When the infant wouldn't stop, troopers say Lesser put his hand over the boy's mouth. The next morning, he was found not breathing.

According to court papers, it took more than two years for the baby's mother to tell authorities it was Andrew Lesser who caused the boy's death.

Now Lesser is behind bars, charged with homicide and the baby's mother and grandmother, and the rest of the family hope little Mavrick gets justice.

"Even being the mom, sometimes you just don't have a big enough voice.  His voice will never be heard again," said the victim's mother Amber Hack.

Initially, investigators didn't know what caused the boy's death. Then Amber Hack told someone at the Women's Resource Center Lesser may have caused Mavrick to die.

After listening to phone conversations in jail between Lesser and the boy's mother, troopers interviewed Lesser in March, and court papers indicate he confessed.

"The additional evidence we needed came forward, and any time that a death is undetermined, the investigations continue until we can know exactly what happened," said Susquehanna County District Attorney Bob Klein.

Because of the new evidence, the Susquehanna County coroner changed Mavrick Starke's death from undetermined to homicide.

Lesser wouldn't comment on the homicide charge. He was taken back to the Susquehanna County Correctional Facility where he's being held without bail.

Before You Leave, Check This Out